Autistic Children Have More Neurons

Autistic children have macrocephaly (e.g., Neurology 2002; 59:175), but whether neuron and glia cell counts correspond with that finding has not been known. These researchers conducted a postmortem study of seven autistic boys and six normal boys (age range, 2–16 years). Dorsolateral and mesial prefrontal cortical (DLPFC and mPFC, respectively) areas in the brain specimens were suitable for stereological cell counts. Causes of death could not include diseases or conditions associated with increased brain size or neuronal cell counts. Autism severity ranged from intellectual disability to having functional speech, ascertained by postmortem standardized parent interviews (1 child was diagnosed with autism when alive). Analyses compared neuron…